October 16, 2007

Attracting, Not Seducing Customers

While John is away, Skyon, a master marketing pick-up artist, will be sharing his provocative approach to attracting customers and earning transactions from them.

Yesterday I clued you in on how I found success as a marketer — I flirt with customers. Yep, I’m a marketing pick-up artist.

Wait. Don’t dismiss me as being a repulsive snake oil salesman who will say anything to get a customer to make an impulse purchase. The last thing I want to be guilty of is triggering a customer to buy something on a whim only to wake up the next morning with buyer’s remorse. That’s not my modus operandi.

A true marketing pick-up artist isn’t interested in one-night brand stands. No. A true marketing pick-up artist is into building a connection with customers that not only earns a transaction, but also earns a relationship where a series of transactions will take place over a prolonged period time.

A true marketing pick-up artist only targets customers that they want to build a lasting transactional relationship with and not just a one-time blip on the sales meter.

A true marketing pick-up artist is an attractor, not a seducer. Focusing on attraction means marketers will improve the personality and performance of a brand to the point that customers are genuinely fascinated with the brand. Inherent with marketing moves of seduction is the implication of dishonesty, trickery, and brand greed. Seduction happens when a brand over-promises and under-delivers.

Cereality attracts customers, they don’t seduce customers. The experience of ordering a made-to-order bowl of cereal with Cocoa Puffs, Quisp, and Frosted Mini-Wheats is so attractive, customers return again and again.

Anthropologie attracts customers, they don’t seduce customers. The artistic window displays at Anthropologie beckons customers to enter and once they do enter, they always find an intoxicating merchandise mix of garments and accessories.

Scion attracts customers, they don’t seduce customers. Their cars look funky and that funkiness attracts customers to lay down some money to get behind the wheel of a boxy Scion car.

Genuine attraction happens when customers see, feel, and experience moments when a brand delivers on what it promises. But seduction also happens.

Bed, Bath, and Beyond seduces customers by mailing out 20% OFF coupons to customers. The marketing department at BBY isn’t interested in developing a long-term relationship with people. Nope. The 20% OFF gambit is a marketing booty call. BBY wants you to lay down and make a purchase TODAY on some big ticket item. And chances are good the next morning that customer will wake up with buyer’s remorse knowing they didn’t need to buy a self-inflating mattress.

Countrywide seduced credit-risky customers into signing a variable-rate interest mortgage rates. Thousands upon thousands of cash-starved people now regret ever getting in bed with Countrywide.

Skyon,
I am enjoying your posts. You are actually practicing what you preach in your writings. Although, I'm a little uncomfortable being flirted with by a man (not that there's anything wrong with that). Just one question, is Skyon your marketing name, your stripper name, or your porn star name?

"A true marketing pick-up artist isn’t interested in one-night brand stands. No. A true marketing pick-up artist is into building a connection with customers that not only earns a transaction, but also earns a relationship where a series of transactions will take place over a prolonged period time."

Very good advice indeed. Many pickup artists focus soley on one night stands and some do well and some do not. I would suspect that many companies that do the same will fail at long term earning potential.